Ai Search
Passage Indexing
Passage indexing (also called passage ranking) is Google's ability to identify and rank specific passages within a long-form page as the most relevant result for a query — not just the page as a whole. Introduced in 2021, it rewards deep, well-organised long-form content.
Why Passage Indexing Matters for SEO
A single long-form page can now rank for dozens of queries across its sections. Pages covering a topic comprehensively with well-delineated sections benefit the most. Passage indexing is closely related to AI Overview citation — Google extracts content the same way for both.
How Passage Indexing Works
Google identifies individual passages that directly answer specific queries, even if the overall page targets a different primary keyword. Descriptive H2 and H3 headings define section topics. Each section should be self-contained and make sense as a standalone extract.
Common Mistakes
- Writing long-form content without clear section delineation
- Using vague or generic headings that don't signal section topics
- Very long paragraphs that make passage extraction difficult
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